Dust
by Nokinami
Summary: Dust surrounds us all the time. Sometimes it is thick and you'll start coughing. Sometimes you don't see it, but it is there. It sticks to our pelts. It keeps us apart. It shoves us together. It is powerful, yet tiny. ON HIATUS. Reasons in the 5. chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N):Yay! My first chapter from Dust! I originally wanted to update yesterday, but … I got distracted. Ah, well here's the full summary**

**Full summary:**

Dust surrounds us all the time. Sometimes it is thick and you'll start coughing. Sometimes you don't see it, but it is there. It sticks to our pelts. It keeps us apart. It shoves us together. It is powerful, yet tiny.

Strom has a pretty normal life. He eats, he sleeps, he defends his territority. Untill Burr sends him his first apprentice, Lily. She annoys him, she hunts his fresh-kill, she patrols his borders, she awakes unpleasant memories.

Strom was woken from a soft continiung noise, probably a bird singing. The juicy smell of the rabbit he catched yesterday found it's way in his nose and he felt the soft fur of it brushing his back; as always in leaf-bare he kept the prey near him, so it was warm next time to eat. He sat up without opening his eyes, still dizzy from sleep, and padded carefully out off his den. As the fresh green-leaf air hit in his face, his mind cleared and he noticed three things: First, it was _green-leaf _not _leaf-bare_, second, he hadn't caught _rabbit_ yesterday, and third, the noise that woke him up was _snoring_, meant there was an intruder in his territority, even in his den. The tabby tom peered silently through the brambles in his den, prepared to leap and recoiled in shock. A white she-cat sat in front of him, her head bowed, the rabbit by her paws. "Master Strom, do you wish to eat a meal? Is rabbit okay for you? Should I bring other prey?" She gazed up to him, and, as if in fear she added, "Might I go to the dirtplace, master Strom?" "Why are you in my territority, intruder? And why are you calling me 'master'? Answer me, intruder! Why-" His demanding mew was cut off from her blunt reply, "Stop calling me intruder! My name's Lily! It's not as if I had a choice! Burr said my chances would be even bigger for you to teach me how to deal with them, if I'm calling you 'master'!" Lily rushed out of his den, leaving a startled tom behind.

Strom stared at the entrance as if a fox would jump out and devour him, her words echoing in his head. Still in a daze he teared the rabbit apart and gobbled it down in large gulps. As soon as he was finished, he wandered around and was shocked as he saw were he was. He was at the willow tree near the stream. He hadn't been here since he buried her. Strom stared at the lilys growing on her grave. Lily reminded him a bit of her. The same green eyes. The same long pelt, even though Lily had a white and Scythe had a black pelt. And, surprisingly, almost the same smell. And Scythe had loved Lilys. This had been Scythe's favourite place, where she thought and where they had played 'Catch the mouse'. Strom sighed and laid down on the patch of grass, where they used to share tongues after playing. She'd have always said totally stern, but with a mocking glint in her eyes 'Strom, I'm jealous of your handsome grey tabby pelt and your gorgeous amber eyes.", he'd answer in the usual tone "Scythe, I'm jealous of your silky, long, black fur and your awesome-breath-taking green eyes.", she would retort mockingly "Just because I'm awesome doesn't mean you have to constantly moon over me." and with a final reply from him "Yeah, as if." they'd sink into the dephts of sleep. The grey tabby jerked himself out of the painful memory and glared angrily at the water. In frustation he lashed at it and, to calm himself down, he lapped a bit up. It helped and just before he slowly sank into sleep again, a thought crossed his mind, something he had not realized earlier. _Burr, hm?_

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIt's Lily's POVxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Lily lashed out at a tree, leaving deep claw marks in the bark. "Why. Does. It. Have. To. Be. Someone. Like. This!" With each word she teared a bit of grass apart, she was angry, but tiny pricks of guilt bothered her. _Maybe it is my fault that he doesn't want to teach me. I think I overdid it. _But as soon as she imagined his bratty, stuck-up face, she _knew _it wasn't her fault. A mouse hurried out of a bush, disturbing her angry thoughts and suddenly she saw that dusk was settling. Dark streaks crossed the sky, the clouds that were white got painted red and then slowly turned in a dark shade of grey. _Just like Duskpaw. Ginger and grey. _She almost wanted to call out for him, but then realization dawned on her. Duskpaw was dead. Mousepaw was dead. Brightsoul was dead. Littlesong was dead. _Her family was dead. Because of her. _That was why she decided for her clanmate's sake to be a loner. She had wandered around more or less peaceful until Burr had picked her up. He was cruel and rude first, but as soon as he had got behind her secret, he was gentle and well-mannered. He teached her basic hunting and fighting lesson and finally, last full moon, he told her she was ready to go.

"_Lily. You passed the assesment. I have someone to teach you. You might even have heard of him in your Clan. His name is Strom now, but once he was known as Stormpaw, or rather, as I know that your elders tend to exaggerate, Stormkit." She let out a tiny gasp. "Stormkit?! Really?! He comitted massmurder! He killed _four_ of the best warriors!" He nodded and smiled sadly. "That is what your Clans thought. Little did they know, what reasons drove him to killing them. He told me and, as you can tell, it's no happy story." She let out another gasp. "You mean … he is like me?" Burr nodded again and rose from his patch of grass. "That is why I chose him to mentor you. Please be careful. It is your only chance. Otherwise you'll have to deal with it yourself. And … don't mention the Clans and a cat named Poppypaw. I'm not sure if he knows her under this name but … please don't mention them." Lily swatted him with a paw, grinning. "You are sure you're serious? I never heard you talking like this. Usually you're making fun of me and assign me to a hunting patrol." He chuckled and easily pinned her down. "That's because I care about you, as I care about all of my children. He'll teach you well, if you manage to break the wall surrounding him." "The .. wall? What do you mean?" Burr sighed and got off her, shaking the dust out of his pelt. "Well … he was living alone for a while without a mentor until I found a she-cat in his age, whom had mastered the problem alone. She went to him and, as it was meant to happen, … they fell in love. It was all happy and lovely, until … she died. I don't know details, but I assume it was … _them-_" He abruptly stopped, it was clearly unpleasant for him. "You'll leave tomorrow. Crash will guide are dismissed." She nodded sternly and turned to leave. "Ahh. Lily?" "Yes?" "Calling him master would help." Lily nodded again and with that she left._

**Words:1234(Lol!CHEERS! Longest chapter EVER! Lol, just kidding^-^)**

**Review please~**

**RaD-chan~**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N): Cheers! Second chapter! That's something, isn't it? ^-^ I'm trying to keep in my head what you said, Featherpool and Destiny!Shout-outs to ****xXFaithblossomXx**** and Lightflame The Warrior for faving, following and reviewing! Shout-outs to Born of True Destiny and Featherpool 16 for reviewing! Yay! Aw, have to say something Faithblossom pointed out: His name is **_**Strom**_** not **_**Storm. **_**Why? Special reasons ^-^ And, Born of true Destiny: I hope the formating is better ^-^ I got the outline planned out completely now and I've come up with a plot for the sequel. Enough blabbing, onto the chappie now:**

_Blazingchill, cruel and fierce, loves to kill. _

Lily sneaked to the sleeping form of Strom, carrying a sparrow and a crow she somehow managed to catch. It had been hard, but she made the decision to get him to teach her, no matter what it took, that nobody would end like her family. The white she-cat prodded him softly in the side and she heard him grumble, "Let me sleep, Scythe."

She nodded to herself and said in the sweetest voice she could manage, "Master, it is time for a meal. I brought a sparrow and a crow. Do you want to have another piece of fresh-kill? I already patrolled the border, no need for that."

That jerked him fully awake and he turned away from her. "Why are you still here, Lily?"

Lily made an innocent face and meowed, snickering on the inside as she watched his face, "Master is everything okay? Something seems to disturb you, did I do something wrong?"

Stroam groaned and replied sourly, "Go away."

"Master? Are you ill? Do you want to hunt?"

The grey tabby groaned again and meowed, "How did you get here, anyway?"

"Master, I don't know what you're talking about . Do you want chamomile to sooth your headache?"

She shouldn't have said that, she knew it, his expression went from tired to angry. _Really_ angry. It wasn't Strom anymore, it was one of _them_. "Fine, sweetie. You wanted it."

It pinned her down and looked at her threatingly. "No need to be afraid sweetie. You will be a fine she-cat and answer _Master_ _Strom's _question, otherwise ..." It grinned evilly. "Otherwise … you'll answer _my _questions." She shivered now in fear and finally managed to stutter, "F-Fine. O-Only if y-you let M-Master Strom free."

It replied in a soft voice that send chills down her spine, "Are you really in the position to ask such things? And … besides _Master Strom _is free."

"W-What do y-you mean?"

"He wants it like this." Without letting her time to meow something he continued, "Master Strom's first question is: how did you get here?"

"Burr send me."

" Wrong answer."

"P-Please, I-I'm s-sorry. C-Crash guided m-me."

"Fine, sweetie. Next question. Did you go through the desert or around it?"

"A-A desert?"

Ignoring her, he continued, "How long did you travel?"

" T-Two m-moons"

What was your original name?" That shocked her.

"How-"

It huffed and she saw Strom's normal grumpiness coming through. "I know how a Clan cat looks when I see one. You have the same terms. Your smell is almost the same. So, _what was your original name_?"

With new confidence she replied, "Why should I tell you?"

"Maybe because you're pinned down?"

"And? It's nothing I can't manage." What was she _doing_?! She wasn't supposed to be pinned under a tom whom she didn't like, flirting with him, she was supposed to get him to teach her! Apparently Strom had a similar thought, because he stepped of her and murmured, "Erm. Sorry if I scared you. I don't like it, but I'll bring you back to Burr. Next full moon. Thirteen days. In that time I'll teach you hunting and fighting. Nothing more."

The next full moon. Thirteen days to rest. Thirteen days to get him to teach her. Thirteen days … Lily dipped her head and meowed mockingly, "Sure, Master? Either way, I'll go and patroll the border again. Afterwards you may find me in my den." The tabby tom just grunted and stared at a little hill with lilys on top of it. She slipped away with the angry thought, _No! I flirted with him _again_._

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxStrom's POVxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Strom wondered how Blazingchill had managed to get out. Blazingchill hadn't been out since the contradiction and Scythe's death. He padded to the clearing where Scythe teached him and imagined the first lesson from her.

_Strom carefully padded towards the clearing. It was leaf-bare and the moon was shining. Snow covered the ground and frost clinged to the trees. First he didn't saw Scythe and meowed quietly, "Scythe? Are you here?" _

"_Yes!" The chirping reply sounded around the clearing and he finally saw her. Scythe's black pelt was glossy and shiny, so he assumed she had groomed it until now. He just wanted to ask what he should do, as she stormed up to him and meowed, "Who is the one you hate the most?"_

"_Huh? I don't understand." _

"_From them. Who is the one you hate most?" _

"_Uh. Well. He's cruel. He's fierce. He loves to kill. He himself demands it feels as if fire runs through his veins, but ..." _

"_He gives you chills?" _

_Strom looked questioning to her and asked, "How did you know?" _

"_I have one like him. To the next point, how does he look?" _

_That took him by surprise and he imagined him standing in front of him. "Well I never thought of it, but … large … ginger … battle-scars … greedy yellow eyes … only one ear … " _

"_Good. Now he needs a name." _

"_A _name_?!" _

_She nodded, excited and meowed, "For a contract, you know? You can't make a contract with someone who doesn't have a name."After a glance to him, seeing his questioning look, she added, "I'll explain the contract as soon as we're finished with the naming and stuff." _

"_Uh. Okay. Maybe something like Firefrost? Because of his pelt … No. It doesn't fit him … Flameice? No … " _

_Scythe interrupted his thoughts with a suggestion, "How about Blazingchill?"_

"_Blazingchill? That sounds good …"_

"_Then it is settled! Blazingchill, cruel and fierce, loves to kill!" _

"_You made that up?" She nodded and meowed with a grin, "Rhyming is easy and I love it."_

"_That wasn't rhyming!"_

_Scythe laughed and raced away from him, meowing a challenge over her shoulder, "Last one to be at your den is a slowpoke!" _

_Strom grinned and raced after her, accepting the challenge. After a short while he was ahead from her and teased, "Who is a slowpoke now, hm?"_

"_Hey! No fair! You aren't running, it's one of them!" That made him stop in his tracks and he tumbled in the snow. "How?"_

_He thought she was angry, but as he slowly turned his head she was grinning widely, "First step finished!" _

"_Huh?" _

"_You worked together with one of them! That was the first step: being friendly, giving names and appeareances." _

"_But I named only one ... "_

"_Yes, but you accepted them!" _

_Strom sighed and then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he started running again, calling over his shoulder, "The challenge is still going!" Scythe grinned again and they runned together, sometimes Scythe a few fox-lengths ahead, sometimes Strom._

**Words:1122**

**(A/N): Scythe … I have a special reason why I named her liked this, but you'll have to wait until the end-I'll maybe tell you if you beg me :3 … I'm joking ^-^ Love this smiley ^-^ I'm listening to Sebonzakura, [Meiko Cover] now. SOmeone described it in the comments very good[That moment when Meiko is like: Screw that guitar solo, I'll do that shit myself] ẞΩŁ€®Ŧ¥↑ıØÞÞ°ÆẞÐªŊ Ħ&Ł̣‹©‚''º×÷¡⅛£¤⅜⅝⅝⅞™±±°¿˛ Funny. Poked random (pressure?) keys and that was what appeared XD Please, point my typos&grammar errors out, (don't be shy~) that I can fix them and keep them in mind.**

**RaD-chan.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yo there. I decided to update today since I finished reading Death Note. I was really disappointed, really. And:Faithblossom had no time to proofread it so it might be crappier than normal. Enjoy~**

Strom waited at the base of a hill, behind it was the desert, a good place to teach Lily about the desert. He had told Lily after she patrolled the border yesterday to come at sunhigh for her first lesson. Soon he heard the rustling of leaves and Lily made an attempt to pin him down, but he dodged easily and had her pinned down after a quick movement.

He sighed and meowed, "Lily, no fighting lesson. Follow me."

She nodded and bounced after him. After a short walk they reached the top and he heard Lily suck in breath in surprise, her eyes wide.

"Awesome … " she breathed, dazed by the sight of the desert, "I thought it woul be all sandy and stuff, but ..."

"Sit down." He pointed with his tail to the hard and dry grass. " I'll tell you several things about the desert."

Lily sat down, still awestruck.

"This desert isn't a normal desert. It is only dried earth, a few cacti and the tunnels. We can't go through the desert without a water supply, so we'll go through the tunnels. Plenty of water there."

"Why don't we go in the rainy season? It would be all green and enough water woul be there too."

"Simply because there isn't enough water since the plants are using it all up and we can't go through the tunnels since they're flooded."

"Why don't we eat plants then? They're containing water, so-"

"So what? The plants are mostly poisoning, you'll die before you eat the right one. We'll go at the next full moon, no other time."

"Why at full moon? Full moon is only twelve days away!"

"Because at full moon is the chance high that we don't end up in a duststorm."

"Duststorm? Do you think that will scare me? Duststorm! Hah! As if!"

His gaze was dangerously calm as he meowed, "A very dear cat to me died in a Duststorm. You shouldn't joke about something that isn't under your control."

"Was it Poppypaw that died?" She swiftly turned her gaze towards the ground and awaited an angry meow, but her comment only called an irritated flicker in his eyes,

"Who is Poppypaw? Should I know her?"

"No, sorry I was joking." , Lily quickly spluttered the words out, in hope that he would just leave it. He didn't.

"Why should you joke about someone you don't know?"

"Sorry. Can we go back to the lesson please?"

Strom huffed and contiued with the lesson, still eyeing her suspiciously.

"In the tunnels are living cats too. They are named the Tribe of Whirling Dust and they'll leave us alone if we don't dusturb them."

"Do they really live all the time in the tunnel? I thought they are floo-"

He silenced her with a warning glare and meowed, "The tunnels they live in are high enough, so the water normally can't reach them. If it does, they just follow a tunnel that leads deep into the mountains, where they can hunt normally."

"Mountains? I don't see them." She craned her neck, but just saw hills far away, clouds hanging above them.

Strom chuckled. "Lily, these hills _are _the mountains. They are just too far away."

"How does the tribe hunt there, anyway?"

Strom rolled his eyes, still irritated from her question about Poppypaw, "They are excellent hunters. If not, they wouldn't catch anything."

Lily glared at him, unsure whether he was joking or not.

He glared back with an emotionless gaze and replied to her unspoken question, "No, I'm not joking. They are hunting mostly kangaroo rats. In comparison with us, they are extremly skinny and have rather large ears."

"Whoa. That is … " She left her sentence uncompleted and meowed with sudden suspicion, "How exactly do you know so much about the desert?"

He turned his gaze away from her and stared into the air, "I was living with them for a while." Apruptly the tabby got up and started padding down the hill.

"Hey! Wait! Isn't the lesson going to continue?" Lily called after him.

His response was short and in the usually grumpy tone. "No."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLily's POVxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xX

She stared after him, huffed and began stomping down the hill, mururing angrily, "He's a fishbrain. A worthless fishbrain. Why should he teach me, me, the easily angered Lily. NO! I shouldn't think about these things. I should find out why he lived with the tribe. And why he didn't stay at the tribe."

In the meantime she had reached the base of the hill, where the yellowy, dried grass turned into softer, green grass and she enjoyed the the feeling of the spongy lushness under her pads as she walked on it.

It reminded her of Duskpaw … The time as they played together hide and seek in the grass and got scolded because they were supposed to be hunting. The time they trained hunting crouches when they were supposed to spar. The time when they chased each other and scared the whole prey in the The time they shared tongues because she was upset about her crush. All those happy days.

Lily settled down and let herself slowly drown in memorys.

_Duskpaw ran up to her, yelling loudly her name, "Lilypaw, Lilypaw! Flamestrike said I passed my first assesment!" She jumped up from her seat attempting to pin him down, but he slithered under her, hooked her with his paw and she was on the grass again. They looked at each other and burst out in laughter. _

"_Hey!" It was a call from Brightsoul, their father, "Streamstar called a meeting, it seems you are going to the gathering tonight. Rest a bit and eat something."_

_They nodded, excited and followed their mother into camp._

_Littlesong and Brightsoul watched them as they sparred. They didn't have to train. They didn't have to go on a patrol. It was their familys day. Suddenly Dustpaw raced into the clearing and knocked Duskpaw over, yelling happily, "Duskpaw! Streamstar said I can go with you!" _

_Duskpaw shoved her off him and meowed with a grin, "No reason to knock me over, Dustpaw." _

_Leaves rustled and Mousepaw appeared with an annoyed look, "Dustpaw, don't run off like that. Streamstar told me to keep an eye on me." _

_Dustpaw nodded and buried her head in Duskpaws fur._

_Hot anger boiled in Lilypaw. It was supposed to be her familys day! But Littlesong and Brightsoul chuckled, "We'll leave you alone now." and leaved them behind._

Fear rose in her. It was _that_ memory. The memory where she killed her family and Mousepaw. The memory that had disappeared. She had to wake up! Lily struggled to awake, but she just …

sank...

deeper...

into...

sleep...

_Lily stared at her bloody paws. She couldn't remember anything. Just the delighting feeling of sweet blood in her mouth. Flesh ripping under her claws. Rippling muscles under her fur. Snapping bones. She gazed at the once green grass, once green and beautiful, now dyed red with blood. The white she-cat got up and gagged at the sight of the ripped body of her mother, her father next to her, his mouth opened to a silent scream. Lily backed away, only to slip on a puddle of blood. She didn't dare opening her eyes, knowing that an unforgettable sight would await her, but as she heard leaves rustling, she couldn't help and opened her eyes. Green, glazed eyes stared at her, a look of utter horror in them. It was Mousepaw. _

"_No. No. No! Why?Why? Why? Tell me! Tell me StarClan!" It was Duskpaw, gazing at their parents in horror, and, with his normally grinning face full of agony, he slumped down on the __ground, sobbing. Lilypaw wanted to go to him and tell him … but she couldn't, not with what she had done, she couldn't. She turned around and ran … _

_ran..._

_ran..._

_ran..._

**Words:1321( gets longer every chaptedr, huh?)**

**So … Well I think it's going to be longer than I thought, around 40 chapters and maybe even longer.**

**Review, please~**


	4. Chapter 4-HIATUS

**A/N: Yo there. As you miiiiight have read in the summary Dust is/will be on hiatus.**

**My reasons:**

**1.I uploaded the first chapter too hasty, so I didn't plan everything out -_- (I'm cursing myself for that)**

**2.I don't have allegiances. (Again, I'm cursing myself)**

** 's too much time between this and FS**

** 've got a looooooot of exams and stuff coming up(8 exams, 2 tests and 1 GFS to be precise)**

**What I'll do while it being on hiatus:**

**-Redo outline-everything better planned(reason 1)**

**-I'll put the plot I planned for Earth(sequel) on the same timeline, (reason 3)**

**-I'll correct the plot(reason 1)**

**-Allegiances(reason 2)**

**-Revise old chapters**

**And there are good news too: my chapters will have the double length(around 2400 words), because of the new plot.**

**Phew. I hope you'll forgive me … pretty please?**

**So … before I forget it, I've read somewhere that every chapter needs a content so here's da chapta:**

Strom walked out of his den. He looked up. It rained. Lily shoved him back in his den. They ate a squirrel together.

**Da.**

**Words:23(^-^ longest chapter evaaaa!)**

**That was it …**

**Wait! I've got things to read for you(Don't be bored ^-^ Nah … Dust isn't that awesome):**

**Skullduggery Pleasant (Derek Landy) (Yay! Awesome-epic)**

**The Mortal Instruments(What the heck?!) (Cassandra Clare) (It's a love-action story 0_0)**

**Flooded (Wolfgrowl) (EPIC!)**

**Everything but nothing (ponyiowa) (Love story-unusual for me)**

**The Love of the Clan Trilogy (TigerFlower08) (Please, please read!)**

**A Blazing Blue Destruction (Icethroath21)**

_**Burning Flame (**__**xXFaithblossomXx**__**) (READ IT!)**_

_**The Rise of the Mist: Book 1: The Four ( **__**xXFaithblossomXx) (I know the plot-It's gonna be awesome!)**_

**(both Fanfictions and real books)**

**ありがとう ございます****! (Hope that's written right)**

**Sayonara!****さよらなら****! ~RaD**

**Aww, sorry-forgot to say: please don't review this chapter, as it will be replaced by a real chapter later. If you want to talk, PM me :)  
**


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